the wire
noun
US
: a thin piece of string that the winner of a race breaks through at the end of the race
The marathon ended in a sprint to the wire by the two top runners.
—often used figurativelyThe election went/came (right) down to the wire.
Examples of the wire in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The decision wound up going down to the wire, but the Red Sox front office ultimately decided Campbell had earned his spot.
—
Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 30 Mar. 2025
The pair took the stand during a court hearing over whether to restore the wire service’s access to the pool, which is allowed in certain areas of the White House with limited space such as the Oval Office and their access to traveling with the president on Air Force One.
—Ella Lee, The Hill, 27 Mar. 2025
Plus, small items often fall through the cracks and the wire prevents stacks of clothes from staying neat and organized.
—Brittany Vanderbill, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Mar. 2025
The White House also has banned the Associated Press from Oval Office and other events because the wire service declined to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 4 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the wire
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Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 30 Mar. 2025
The pair took the stand during a court hearing over whether to restore the wire service’s access to the pool, which is allowed in certain areas of the White House with limited space such as the Oval Office and their access to traveling with the president on Air Force One.
—Ella Lee, The Hill, 27 Mar. 2025
Plus, small items often fall through the cracks and the wire prevents stacks of clothes from staying neat and organized.
—Brittany Vanderbill, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Mar. 2025
The White House also has banned the Associated Press from Oval Office and other events because the wire service declined to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 4 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the wire
Cite this Entry
“The wire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20wire. Accessed 9 Apr. 2025.
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